Upcoming EventsTeenagers are notorious “night owls.” No matter what time they need to get up in the morning, they stay up late doing homework, texting their friends or playing video games. What’s a parent to do? Anita Bhola, MD, sleep medicine specialist at Montefiore Nyack Hospital and mother of two teens,shares tips about how to ensure that your teen gets proper sleep.
Q: How much sleep do teens really need?
A: Although sleep needs vary among individuals, in general teens ages 11 to 17 need about 8 ½ to 9 ½ hours of sleep a night in order to be alert, productive and healthy.
Q: What are the consequences of not getting enough sleep?
A: Teens are more sleep-deprived than any other age group. Not getting enough sleep can affect a teenager’s ability to pay attention in school or consolidate the information they’ve learned into memory. Even staying up an extra hour a night can affect their performance on a test or their ability to function in school. Teens who don’t get enough can become cranky. Sleep deprivation can also have more serious effects on behavior and mental health. I see a lot of teens in my practice who have been referred to me because of impulsive behavior, anxiety and depression. A lot of those issues have to do with lack of sleep.
Q: What are some of the factors that are preventing teens from getting enough sleep?
A: One major factor is early start times at school. Sleep specialists around the country have been working with school districts to try to implement later school opening times. Research has shown starting school a half-hour or hour later can improve school performance and decrease depression.
"The use of electronics close to bedtime plays a large part in teens’ lack of sleep. They’re watching TV, checking their phone and playing video games. The bright light from these devices suppresses the production of the hormone melatonin in the body. Levels of melatonin start rising at night, and induce sleep. Bright light sends a signal to the brain to suppress melatonin, and this causes problems with sleep.
Over scheduling also plays a role. Teens have so much homework and extracurricular activities.
Another reason teens stay up late is their biological clock, which changes around puberty. Their body won’t let them get to sleep early, and makes them want to sleep later. But since they have to get up so early during the week, they end up compensating by sleeping until 11 or noon on the weekends.
Eating late meals, which is common in households with busy schedules, can also affect sleep. The problem is made worse by drinking caffeinated beverages. Many types of soda, including colas and Mountain Dew, contain high levels of caffeine. It’s alright to have a snack an hour or two before bedtime, but avoid heavy meals within three to four hours of going to bed.
Q: How does Daylight Savings Time affect sleep?
A: When you set your clock forward an hour on March 8, your sleep cycle, and that of your whole family, can be affected. Encourage your teens to try going to sleep a little earlier each day for about four days before that date, to ease them into the change. Otherwise, that lost hour of sleep can make it very difficult to get up Monday morning for class. This is especially important if they drive themselves to school—a lot of car accidents happen around Daylight Savings Time.
Q: What can parents do to help ensure their teens get enough sleep?
A: Sit down with your teens and have a conversation about why it’s important to get enough sleep, and come up with a strategy you can all live with.
Recommend they:
- Get their homework done by a certain time that you all agree on.
- Don’t eat a large meal within three to four hours of bedtime, and try to stay away from caffeine later in the afternoon and evening.
- Incorporate physical activity into their daily schedule, but not too close to bedtime.
- Agree on a consistent sleep/wake schedule, even on the weekends—and stick with it.
- Shut off electronics at a certain agreed-upon time, preferably a half-hour to an hour before bedtime. This includes TV, computer, cell phone and video games.
- Keep their bedroom dark, quiet and cool during sleep hours.
- Don’t let pets sleep in their bedroom—dogs snoring or cats pawing can keep them up.
- Learn a relaxation strategy, such as deep breathing exercises or meditation, to help them wind down before going to bed.
Remember, you have to be a role model yourself. It’s hard to tell your teens to go to bed earlier if you’re staying up late. Take this opportunity to look at your own sleep habits. A well-rested family is a happier family.
